Some of the most beautiful places in the world (in my eyes) are in the northern Europe. Think not only of deserts of snow, but also rivers, and fjords, steppes, and of course there's forests too, a lot of wood.

I'm confident that the next title will be good, that it will introduce new solutions.

heck, if I picture it in my mind with what they did in Fallout 3 it should be good. Fallout 3 was much more desert than a northern landscape would be.

3 years ago now I was one to be in glee about Oblivion, bought it the day it came out. Bought Fallout3 the day it came out. Will repeat for Skyrim, or whatever title they choose

Yes , i'll probably buy it and update my rig in consequence after tests. Maybe this time i'll start modding sooner and i'll be able to do more than a Fine Steel Extented that wasn't updated afterwards.

they could be trying to mislead us you know, and i think that they've learned from they're mistakes with oblivion. if it is in skyrim and its anything like bloodmoon then i wont have a problem with it... as long as i get spears and not EVERYTHING is leveled.

Btw, speaking of Skyrim and northern nature - here is a link for Skyrim mod for Oblivion, developed by Russian mod-team: http://www.skyrim.org.ru/gallery/I'm rather skeptic about this since Russian moders have a tendency of starting really huge and ambitious projects, but then abandon them on the half-road.
Still, their concept art looks really interesting (I liked sketches of dress since it seems that artist took his inspiration from Finland folklore and tradition rather from Scandinavian and this is unusual) and there are plenty of screens of different locations.

Btw, speaking of Skyrim and northern nature - here is a link for Skyrim mod for Oblivion, developed by Russian mod-team: http://www.skyrim.org.ru/gallery/I'm rather skeptic about this since Russian moders have a tendency of starting really huge and ambitious projects, but then abandon them on the half-road. Still, their concept art looks really interesting (I liked sketches of dress since it seems that artist took his inspiration from Finland folklore and tradition rather from Scandinavian and this is unusual) and there are plenty of screens of different locations.

That's pretty impressive indeed...If they don't plan to finish their work I hope they'll release their meshes and textures for untalented moders like me to work with

Thank your Waalx for defending the north a bit. I'm from Northern Europe, and yes, I agree, it is beautiful. The landscape is far from boring, and with a few new ideas it could become really interesting. For example, they could include changing seasons, during which the snow and ice melts, they could have more dangerous weather, they could have avelanches etc. During the summer the landscape changes drastically. Not to mention it's beautiful, summer and winter both. I hope they can deliver something good for TESV.

Someone spoke of a boring Viking Game... Well, TES isn't exactly your average medieval game, so... Besides, Norse mythology is very interesting and if they use some of that (which many successful fantasy authors did, among them Tolkien) it can turn out very well. I'd love to learn a bit more about "the barbaric Nord's" religion.

3) TES4 is some of your average medieval game. TES3 was awesome and so was Shivering Isles. However if I look how they changed a roman empire like civilization into a boring medieval world I fear the worst for my Nords. It's surely going to be a generic viking world...

4) The existing lore is great, but Beth rarely follows it anymore...

Beth is going for the save route to the console (x360) audience... sad but the lost likely and probable path....

You know, if I was that negative I'm almost certain to have a good surprise whenever there was a new game simply because my expectations were so low.

A whole leveled world? I don't recall writing anything like that...

Anyway, I hope for a game a bit more like Morrowind, where everyone hates you, only this time, including nature itself. Everyone was so nice in Oblivion, exept Kathutet and Sheogorath. I would much rather meet beefy Nords challenging me to a duel whenever I insulted their manly pride.

I can honestly see Skyrim in front of me. Typical, primitive Nord-Viking houses with thick dirt walls... The most fascinating thing about Vikings is that they were so primitive. Everyone only ever think about their plundering.

I don't recall vikings as being overly primitive. They had the most advanced chainmail in that period. Not to mention some very nice ships and fortifications, trips to iceland, greenland, north america.

And yes been to Denmark and Norway.

The leveled world was about OB, every enemy is leveled, most of the gear as well.

I know their weapons weren't that primitive. I meant their way of life, it differs a lot from the rest of Europe at that period. Vikings lived in so Long Houses with dirt walls (as I said) and grass on the roof, and only one chimney. There's a movie called When the Raven Flies (terrible film) that describes this pretty well. They all live in rather simple houses, even these supposedly powerful families live in either wooden or dirt buildings.

I never liked the levelled world-thing in Oblivion. Some mods improve this problem, but I have never seen one that removes it altogether. I hope they revert to a system more like in Morrowind. Still, if they mess up, there are always mods, right?

I know their weapons weren't that primitive. I meant their way of life, it differs a lot from the rest of Europe at that period. Vikings lived in so Long Houses with dirt walls (as I said) and grass on the roof, and only one chimney. There's a movie called When the Raven Flies (terrible film) that describes this pretty well. They all live in rather simple houses, even these supposedly powerful families live in either wooden or dirt buildings.

I never liked the levelled world-thing in Oblivion. Some mods improve this problem, but I have never seen one that removes it altogether. I hope they revert to a system more like in Morrowind. Still, if they mess up, there are always mods, right?

Note: This is not a rant... though on reading through a second time prior to posting, it certainly seems it. The quote isn't to direct ire at the original statements, but as an appropriate segue to the topic.

I do love how the term 'primitive' is used when describing the Norse/Viking peoples... Personally, I'd use the same term, but with a wholly different connotation. Primitive simply in what they used to survive and thrive. While we need 'advanced' materials to carve out our place in the world, many past cultures did so with 'primitive' resources.

Most people see their shipbuilding as their greatest achievement, but I see it as merely a single facet of their prowess of ingenuity.

(For reference: http://www.vikingdenmark.com/viking-houses-architecture-inside-layout.html)
Some of their buildings were certainly primitive in outward appearance, but with the available building materials and terrain, they were actually quite advanced. The 'grass on the roof' wasn't simply thatching to be replaced each season, but was transplanted grass and soil from the ground or hillside they built on/in. The soild acts as a very efficient insulation, and the grass keeps the soil from simply running off in the rain. I believe this design was put to practice quite often in Ireland, but I'm unsure where the design was initially introduced.

Buildings in areas with the capacity to provide wood for house and shipbuilding leant on their quite advanced ship designs to provide the roofing. Quite simply, it's an overlarge Viking Galley turned on its head and given walls and outter support beams. With their maritime raiding practices, the use of their boats for shelter if needing to take to land during inclimate weather (or perhaps even a whole season) could easily see this practice being put to use.

I think the largest disparity is that too often 'simplicity' is seen and described as being 'primitive'. Cultural beliefs have changed over the millenia, and with the changes there is more and more lack of acceptance of past cultures. I've watched a barn, built by licensed contractors and carpenters, go from bare earth to foundation and framework and then full completion in the space of a week. Meanwhile, literally just down the road, a community of Quakers erected a similar, though simpler, structure in exactly two days. One day to clear the land, and another to raise the building. A barn built in a single day, without the use of electric tools.

I don't see the vikings as being much more primitive than other civilizations of the time. They were not that far behind, unless you can gauge this only by comparing very big cities like Paris, Rome, or Constantinople... We have to understand that it's not all people that need or want to advance their technology the fastest they can.

And we can see this on many part of the globe now, where some countries defy capitalism (and not only in the name of religious cults) in the name of tradition and simplicity.

Me I prefer simple stuff and antics to any modern things.

I feel the Vikings where still close to their old belief and had a respect of nature a bit like the Native people in America. They were awesome sailors, fearless in their travels, and Eric the Red is the real guy who discovered America, not Columbus (they write the 'History' as it befit them...I know.).

Not to mention, that Vikings were good traders, and so they can't be counted as "primitive" in any respect. They traded with Byzantine, Russia and kingdoms of Continental Europe. In fact, Vikings (called "Varyagi" in Russian chronicles) played significant role in establishment of Russia as a state, since most of all Russian princes hired Viking war bands as elite guards (druzgina) and first Russian royal family (Ryriki) was established by (or with help of) Viking warlord Ryrik.